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biss leads japanese visit

BRITISH Tourist Authority (BTA) chairman Adele Biss is in Japan this week leading her first trade mission to develop firmer links between the two countries.

Her participation reflects the importance of the Japanese market to the UK. This year visitors from Japan are forecast to top 650,000, with total expenditure reaching about ú360m.

She is accompanying 20 people from the travel industry including representatives from hotels, attractions, tourist boards and coach operators.

These include Andrew Jones, travel trade sales director at Forte Hotels, and Norbert Petersen, senior operations director at Mount Charlotte Thistle Hotels.

By the end of this week, the group will have met 700 operators, travel agents and wholesalers on a visit taking in the leading cities of Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo. "Our mission aims to keep the UK high on the Japanese visitor's agenda," said Ms Biss.